Pro audio gear is usually built to do a job and do it consistently and reliably over a period of years.

Pro studio gear is designed to show you the flaws in your recording after listening for 12 hours straight. It has nothing to do with home audio. Some studios will have a pair of very good loudspeakers but it's very rare. They will never have a statement system because studios need a robust speaker that won't need repair every week.

https://tmraudio.com/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/atc-scm19a-powered-floorstanding-speakers-black-pair-scm-19a/ You are welcome.

First off. Listen to solely rock and Roll. Have had for the past 2 years a pair of Tekton Double Impacts, with a SVS SB 4000 sub (sealed) blue tooth adjustment from your seating location for perfect integration, EASY   Peachtree amp 500, Benchmark Line amp LA-4 and their DAC3B. Audiolab 6000 CDT and steam Amazon HD  (direct wired) from Windows lap top to DAC.  The speakers in my opinion put me at the concert. Double Impacts are about $3500 the Moab about $4700. I've been tempted, but the DI's with Sub are impressive. Listening to Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Rush, Eagles    I'm at the concert   Enjoy   Robert TN

Would you rather listen to consumers or experts' opinions with good mix of objective/subjective assessments?  If latter, stereophile.com might be a good source for you.  They don't discriminate budgetary systems and often pull them into consideration if they perform.

Here is a darkhorse recommendation…the Ascend Acoustic Sierra tower. A phenomenal speaker that flies under the radar

1) Made in America

2) Genuine Bamboo cabinets

3) Dome tweeter is standard, but the RAAL ribbon tweeter 70-20xr upgrade is a stunner. Airy, effortless highs and combined with SEAS woofers, excellent drivers

4) Known for their balance, they work with any genre. 90db sensitivity. 34hz-32khz frequency response. Bass is tight and fast but if you’re looking for a ton of bass, best to add a sub.

5) $2600 - $3300 a pair - 7 year warranty

 

 

How much power does amp produce? Can't go wrong with Magnepan LRS 

You have received excellent advice. To recap, if you post where you live, you will likely get offerings from members to listen to their speakers. Ideally, you would listen to a speaker before buying it. Well regarded speaker lines in this price range include Focal, Monitor, Revel, Magnepan, Fritz, Harbeth, Vandersteen, Sonus Faber, Dali, Dynaudio. One question that looms forward—- how serious are you to have the option of potentially driving your speaker with tube gear in the future? If this is a strict requirement, most of the above are not a viable option. Fritz speakers reportedly have a very benign impedance curve, and likely would do fine with tube gear. I am partial to 2 ways with subwoofers (preferably REL), and so Fritz would be at the top of my list with tube gear being a down the road option. In that sized room, I would consider Klipsch Heresy IV or Forte IVs. Definitely worth an audition!

The raven Celeste’s are really good… and so is anything Salk. 
 

 

Salk Veracity ST or Salk Silk tower or Salk HT2tl

all amazing sound, build and value 

veracity ST in automotive white are available without 4 month wait 

Based on your preferences, I think a home audition of a pair of Ohm Walsh tower speakers would fit quite well. The Walsh 2000s sell for $3800 the pair. I have owned them since 2009, and couldn’t be happier. You can read my review in the review section of Audiogon. They come with a 120 day return option, but you will be out the shipping costs if you return. I do run mine with a pair of subs, but I admit to being a bit of a bass freak. These go quite solidly down into the low 30Hz range all on their own. As I have upgraded my electronics and wires, these speakers have revealed every nuance of each upgrade, good or bad. But they are not fatiguing to listen to for many hours on end, and offer surprising details without exaggerating them. On top of all that, Ohm is great to deal with, including fairly easy access to owner and designer John Strohbeen, whom I have had the pleasure to meet several times.

 

PM me if you have any questions.

Love my Vandersteen’s. They really do sound good with every type of music I throw at them. Can listen for hours with no fatigue at all. Stream, turntable, cassette, tuner, they all sound different and most important they all sound good too.

Crustycoot maybe secondhands magnepan 3.7 or the lrs with two dwm panels.

Than he gets one of the best sounds much bether than the rebels.

@barjohn

I would look at Amir’s web site "Audio Science Review" where he performs detailed measurements and listening tests. He has a trained ear and his write ups are excellent. Also, he has top of the line test equipment for speakers and electronics. One set of speakers that stands out are rather ugly IMHO but that measure and sound fantastic (according to him and others that comment) are speakers from Genelec. They are for professional recording engineers but will play at very loud levels with very low distortion. You can see and read about these speakers on his web site or the Generic web site at generic.com. Look at his reviews on DACs and Amps too.

 

Good advice.

A friend of mine, Mike, is into broadcasting and for over 30 years he has been bemused by my fascination with domestic audio.

 

In my defence I’d say that pro audio is extremely difficult to audition or even get to see.

When did I see a Genelec loudpspeaker?

How would I?

Besides, I was reading domestic audio magazines and he was reading the even more obscure pro audio ones.

Nevertheless, I now have come to the understanding that Mike was right all along. Pro audio gear is usually built to do a job and do it consistently and reliably over a period of years.

There should be more discussion of pro audio gear amongst forums such as this one.

Perhaps there will be as the divergence between domestic and professional audio is resolved by increasingly more accurate measuring technology.

 

 

If you share the state you live in you may be surprised by the number of

people in your area that would have you over for a listen.

I recommend going to hear what is available in your area. Or make appointments and drive to the nearest city. While you will be hearing their electronics and room acoustics… speakers have different sounds… vastly different… like B&W vs, Magnapan vs Focal vs Sonus Faber. Then read professional reviews on those you are able to hear. This will help you calibrate your hearing to reviews. Doing this well takes years… but better than being in the dark. Early in my audiophile days I listened to a bunch and one set just caused a deep emotional connection. I bought those…

 

A couple decades ago i was with a friend who was auditioning speakers… one brand really caught my attention for their unique sound…. Couldn’t put my finger on what it was. But over ten years later I got season tickets to the symphony and I made the connection between those speakers and real live music. Three sets of Sonus Faber speakers later I have the best system I have heard.

Get the speakers first. Then you can optimize your system to get the most out of them. After all the components are perfect and hundreds of hours have gone by and you completely know the sound of your system, then look for interconnects. Optimize your system to be what you want, then accessories will make it sound even better.

I don't feel SVS subwoofers are very musical.  REL's high level connection provides a seamless integration.

You would be surprised by the sound of SALK Song 3 Encores.  When I auditioned the Focal 926 I kept on saying, "Where's the bass".  I am itching to hear a pair of Focal Kanta's.

I wasn't a believer in expensive cables until I Spent $4,000 on cables with The Cable Company.  He kept telling me, "You really haven't heard your system yet".  He was right.    

I would look at Amir’s web site "Audio Science Review" where he performs detailed measurements and listening tests. He has a trained ear and his write ups are excellent. Also, he has top of the line test equipment for speakers and electronics. One set of speakers that stands out are rather ugly IMHO but that measure and sound fantastic (according to him and others that comment) are speakers from Genelec. They are for professional recording engineers but will play at very loud levels with very low distortion. You can see and read about these speakers on his web site or the Generic web site at generic.com. Look at his reviews on DACs and Amps too.

☢😱😩

 

My room is similar to yours in size....I have 10 pair of speakers and have learned ONE important fact. The smaller that the actual speaker is...the smaller it sounds. Bookshelf s just don't make it in a good sized rooms like ours.....Most of my listening is some form of Rock and Singer/ songwriters...music that I know the words to .....Music that I can feel in the floor and in the air.......Music that brings out emotion.....Fun Music that makes me feel good....exciting music. I find that one of Andrew Robinsons 10 best speakers of All Time does exactly that. I would also get the Schiit audio LOKI mini or Lokius to fine tune each album to the exact sound that make You smile and enjoy the MUSIC...not the Electronics.  The Speaker you ask.....the Tekton Pendragon with the optional upgraded caps and wiring....8 ohm...with the 7 speaker tweeter array....You Are There at the venue. Gigantic soundstage and you can listen all day and night without Any fatigue.....They also have a 30 day try out. Good luck in your journey. Like I've stated before...if there was a Best in every catagory ...this would be a very boring hobby.....

Focal kanta 3 would be a good fit for the size of your room. Good luck ! 
 

Ron 

I would look at Amir's web site "Audio Science Review" where he performs detailed measurements and listening tests.  He has a trained ear and his write ups are excellent.  Also, he has top of the line test equipment for speakers and electronics. One set of speakers that stands out are rather ugly IMHO but that measure and sound fantastic (according to him and others that comment) are speakers from Genelec.  They are for professional recording engineers but will play at very loud levels with very low distortion.  You can see and read about these speakers on his web site or the Generic web site at generic.com.  Look at his reviews on DACs and Amps too. 

3.7is are almost $7K now new, and take 10 weeks to get, FYI.  1.7is are $2800.  I agree Revel F206 with a REL T/7x is hard to beat for under $5K. 

A magnepan 3.7 with a good amp you  dont need any sub.

Wow, no love here for the Cornwall or Forte??

Maybe I'm a little partial. 

Don't worry about getting "the best sound for under $5000".  There are so many choices because being a speaker builder is a passion project.  The best value sound-wise might well be from some young, bright-eyed designer start-up ... that closes shop when the founder moves on.

Most speaker builders tend to have a "house sound".  I'd start by trying to hear a couple of good brands with a more neutral sound - KEF or Dynaudio, for example.  Then try some more exotic sounds, like Magnepan or Focal.  This should at least give you an idea whether you want to keep going down the rabbit hole or stay closer to the status quo.

I would keep it simple if I were you. Revel F206 speakers and NAD C368 amp with Bluesound streamer built in.  Perfect. The sound is good and speakers look great.  You can add an external power amp later but you would be at 5K right out of the box. 

Thanks for the responses thus far.  

In no way do I have my mind made up.  In fact that is my issue...there are too many very fine speakers and I have no clue what is what since I haven't heard most of them. 

To respond to some others, the room is fairly open as technically it is my living room..  10' or so in front of my desk is the front door and the stairs up.  On the left it opens to the family room and kitchen.  So it is a definite space to fill.  My Emotiva  T2+'s sit behind me on each side, angled in toward me.  The tweeters are about my ear level when seated.  They are roughly a foot from the wall. With new speakers, I can put them pretty much anywhere in the room I want.  

As for the tone, yeah, I kind of want it all or at least as much as I can.  Good clarity but not painful to listen to. If I put on house music and turn it up, I want to feel the base hits. Which is why getting a sealed sub may be in the future as well.  If I am listening to the 1812 Overture, I want to feel the cannons but still let the beauty of instruments shine.  A live track of All Along the Watchtower should make me feel like I am at the concert.  But if I am listen Sarah Brightman's version of Scarborough Fair, I want her subline vocals to come through clearly and not get overpowered by the rest of the music.  So basically a mix of old and new recordings.  And pretty much every genre you can think of. 

I had been thinking of new because used is 1) dependent upon what is available at that point and time and 2) is a gamble that what comes through your door is what you thought it was. Effectively it broadens the list so big that my feelings of being overwhelmed by this just gets worse.  

Those are absolutely gorgeous speakers. I will check them and the others mentioned out.  Unfortunately, I don't know of any clubs in the area, which could just be my ignorance.  There are not a lot of high end shops either.  

If have looked at the streamer but I do have the concern about ease of use vs the macbook which I am working on.  I have also been looking at DAC's other than the one build into my preamp.  

To be clear, I do plan on upgrading pretty much everything, I just don't want to have to do it all at once.  So components should work well with, or at least be forgiving of the components that have not been upgraded. 

 

The Fritz Carrera's will work fine in that room as your obviously not going to sit 24 feet away. He also makes the same basic speaker with the Scan Speak Illuminator tweeter instead of the Be tweeter.  

Harbeth Super HL5 Plus -- you can find a gently used pair between $3.5 - 4.5K.

Fritz Carrera BE is a great choice too, but I think they might struggle a little given the size of your room. However, Fritz offers 30 day home trial, and these speakers can go toe to toe with Harbeth on SQ alone, but like I said they might struggle in a relatively big room like yours.

Really? Perhaps you might like to tell us the other 4 on your list?

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1. GRs NX series

2. 57s

3. My Elixirs (under silks right now)

4. Your speakers.

5. Sound Lab

6. My SAT speakers (stack and test)

7. Pass Lab. Rushmore

8. Strathearn LS

9. VMPS RM40s

10. VMPS RM30s

11. VMPS 626R. They just sold a pair with upgrades for 500.00 I almost passed out.

ANY of these types of speakers work perfect for me.. That is not an order of good better best either. ANY will work..

I wouldn’t even hook up the Rushmore, I’d just look.

Regards

I have the Monitor Audio Silver 300's and am really impressed with them. Good luck with your search!

 

And please remember to let us know what you end up with.

 

Dave

I was in a mission to hear many top rated speakers over the past 12 months

and here is what I liked best in your price range with detail.

-Fritz Carrera 7BE $3,500

-Paradigm Founders H?120 $5,000

-GR Research Open Baffle at $4,500.

-1.7 Maggies $2,000?

Too many variables to make a real suggestion. 

Your best use of the $5k might well be to buy all Emotiva gear.

Designed to work together. Great value.

 

"I just saw a super good looking set of VMPS RM40s and a matching VSS (very sturdy sub) for around 4K total. External XOs, TRT teflon caps, silver wiring and AC G3 tweeters. You won’t find anything like it. Period.. One of the top 5 speakers EVER made no mater the cost. "

Really? Perhaps you might like to tell us the other 4 on your list?

I'm afraid you won't get the most out of a new set of speakers because of what you will be feeding them.  A stand alone DAC would sound much better than using one built into a surround sound receiver.  This could really clean up your sound enough you might want to continue listening to your speakers for a while longer.  Individual components will sound much better than an all in one DAC, preamp, receiver, amp that's designed for processing surround sound rather than pure audio fidelity.  Like others have said about buying speakers used, you'll save a ton of cash buying used or demo gear.  I have a system compromised of mostly used or demo equipment myself because I could never ever afford the stereo that I prefer.  Enjoy the journey!

Get the biggest Harbeths you can afford- I tell everybody that. And a streamer and a 2 channel Amp.

Stevehardy1, +1 or the lrs with the svs or also the 1.7i.

The amp for me is the weak one in the system i prefer a stereo amp.

Usher Mini Dancer I

I'd buy a decent/good Streamer for +/-1000 and the rest of your budget on speakers ($4000 speakers will differently be an upgrade). You "will" notice the difference. Your system is pretty decent as is. Using a MacBook to stream with is holding what you got back more than upgrading your speakers only.

Just my .02

Magnepan 3.7i. Untouchable for the cost if you have the right Amp. 

If you like the Martin Logan Motion series, I don't think you would be happy with Dynaudio (I had the special 40 and returned them) or Focal.  If you got Motion 40 or 60xti (or their bookshelves) and put lots of power on them they sound great.  You may want to check out Wharfedale EVO 4.4's - but they have more of that European sound.  I have seen Wilson Watt Puppies used for $5K from time to time.  My dealer had a pair of Elac bookshelves and they sounded great - they had that folded ribbon tweeter that was not too bright - but I don't remember the model.

Treat your room.

Bad acoustics=bad sound (no matter how expensive the gear was).

Tom

To get the best for a good price it’s best to buy cheap speakers and use the cabinet just to replace the drivers and crossover and whatever else you need, you can also build your own cabinet if you want in any size and weight you would like. Unless you want to overspend you can’t get good quality drivers and parts in a pre made speaker for a decent price maybe 10k a speaker or maybe a little lower definitely higher. Custom is the way to go on a budget especially for speakers, amplifiers are a different story though.

If you have the space the Magnepan 3.7i used with a sub is an amazing speaker you can listen to for hours and does everything right.

You can also check Philharmonic Audio, Dennis Murphy makes some great sounding  speakers for about $3500 all quality  parts and you won't need a sub.

ATC 100s or 150s with Pass Labs or Accuphase electronics - nothing better!

 

+1 on the Fritz. I have been contemplating about calling him up and seeing if he will send me some speakers to try out. Never heard anything less than exemplary reviews of them. 

Consider offerings from Spatial Audio Labs and Clayton Shaw. They do need a little room to breath, but are excellent value and have a generous trial period. Detail for days without being fatiguing. Older models come up once in a while. I have the older M3s and will never get rid of them. 
 

My suggestion is to get a pair of monitors from Fritz.  You'll have a very difficult time spending money on new speakers after that.

Then at least start to treat your room. 

50 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio

MID-PRICED

Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 loudspeaker, $2500
Monitor Audio Silver 300 loudspeaker, $1999

• >> Vandersteen Audio Model 2Ce Signature III loudspeaker, $3279

REL Acoustics T/7i subwoofer, $999
NAD M10 BluOS streaming amplifier, $2749
Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC, $2449
MoFi Electronics UltraDeck+ turntable with UltraTracker cartridge, $1999
Hana SL phono cartridge, $750

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/50-greatest-bargains-in-high-end-audio-3

@ddonicht , I think @jjss49 has some good questions for you to think about.

You have a nice healthy budget so you should have some great fun researching and shopping. It’s a great time to be an audiophile or just into hifi because there are so many choices--which is also possibly a source of you being overwhelmed.

I like Music Direct, Audio Advisor, Upscale Audio, and Crutchfield’s no hassle return policies. Each of them stock a good bit of selection too. There are plenty of other dealers that are just as good too.

If you can temporarily swing it, it can be very fun and eye opening to research and get it down to 2 speakers to try out at the same time, knowing you’ll return one. Ideally, you could have a salon full of stuff and then decide, yet that’s pretty impractical. I’m not saying to limit yourself to just 2, but if you are having trouble the best thing to do is listen over a month to something.

Enjoy the journey. Keep us posted!

I’m a Focal owner and have always loved their sound though it can be polarizing for many with their very detailed tweeters. I’ve never found them to be bright (I think of Paradigm for bright based on my very limited experience with them) and when I purchased my 836v speakers I was able to listen to Focal speakers ranging from the 806v all the way up to the Grande Utopia. My favorite was the Diablo Utopia with a JL Audio Gotham subwoofer but it was in the realm of being a dream for me. I started with an Integra receiver upgraded to a Yaqin MC-30L tube amplifier, and now have a Pathos Classic One MkIII and I have loved my speakers always.

I honestly wouldn’t buy a speaker before at least listening to a similar model from the same brand and then always listening to one that’s lower in the line than the one being purchased.

If you love your speakers you have a solid foundation to build your system around. They make the biggest difference in the final sound in my opinion, so it’s important to enjoy them.